Barberry plant named ‘Redtorch’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Barberry  plant named ‘Redtorch’, characterized by its narrow and upright plant habit; leaves that are dark purple in color and in the autumn become bright red in color; and tolerance to Powdery Mildew.

Botanical designation: Berberis thunbergii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘REDTORCH’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Barberryplant, botanically known as Berberis thunbergii and hereinafter referredto by the name ‘Redtorch’.

The new Barberry plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Allassac, France. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new erect Barberry plants withattractive foliage.

The new Barberry plant originated from an open-pollination in 2002 of anunnamed selection of Barberry thunbergii, not patented, as the female,or seed parent and an unknown selection of Barberry thunbergii as themale, or pollen, parent. The new Barberry plant was discovered andselected by the Inventor in 2003 as a single plant within the progeny ofthe stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Allassac,France.

Asexual reproduction of the new Barberry plant by softwood cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Beaufort-en-Vallée, France sincethe Jun. 1, 2004 has shown that the unique features of this new Barberryplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generationsof asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Barberry have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Redtorch’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Redtorch’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofBarberry plant:

-   -   1. Narrow and upright plant habit.    -   2. Leaves that are dark purple in color and in the autumn become        bright red in color.    -   3. Tolerant to Powdery Mildew.

Plants of the new Barberry can be compared to plants of the femaleparent selection. Plants of the new Barberry differ from plants of thefemale parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Barberry are more erect than plants of the        female parent selection.    -   2. Developing leaves of the new Barberry are more red in color        than developing leaves of the female parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Barberry have healthier and more durable        leaves than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Barberry can be compared to plants of the Berberisthunbergii ‘Helmond Pillar’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Beaufort-en-Vallée, France, plants of the new Barberrydiffered from plants of ‘Helmond Pillar’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Barberry were more vigorous than plants of        ‘Helmond Pillar’.    -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Barberry were more red in color        than leaves of plants of ‘Helmond Pillar’.    -   3. During the autumn, leaves of plants of the new Barberry were        red in color whereas leaves of plants of ‘Helmond Pillar’ were        purple in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Barberry plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Barberry plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of atypical plant of ‘Redtorch’ grown during the autumn in an outdoornursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical plantof ‘Redtorch’ in the autumn.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the late autumn in an outdoornursery in Beaufort-en-Valée, France and under conditions which closelyapproximate commercial production. During the production of the plants,day temperatures ranged from 6° C. to 20° C. and night temperaturesranged from 1° C. to 15° C. Plants were three years old when thephotographs and the description were taken. In the description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Berberis thunbergii ‘Redtorch’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Barberry            thunbergii, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Barberry            thunbergii, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By softwood cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 30 days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three            months at 18° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fleshy; yellow in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; sparse.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial shrub; narrow and            upright plant habit; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth            habit.        -   Branching habit.—Moderate branching habit, about 38 lateral            branches develop per plant; pruning will enhance lateral            branch development.        -   Plant height.—About 73.8 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 28.5 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 34.1 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 1.1 cm.        -   Aspect.—Mostly upright.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color, young.—Close to 200C to 200D.        -   Color, fully developed.—Close to 199D with longitudinal            stripes, close to 200A.        -   Thorns.—Quantity/arrangement: About one at each node.            Length: About 9 mm. Width: About 0.7 mm. Color: Close to            165A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.        -   Length.—About 2.1 cm.        -   Width.—About 1 cm.        -   Shape.—Obovate.        -   Apex.—Rounded to abruptly acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to N186C.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 177C to 177D            tinged with close to 182C. Fully expanded leaves, upper            surface: Between N186C and 200B; venation, between N186C and            200B; in the autumn, color becomes closer to 46A. Fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 177C to 177D tinged            with close to 182C; venation, close to 187D.        -   Petiole.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 0.7 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper surface: Between N186C and 200B. Color, lower surface:            Close to 187D.-   Flower description: Flower initiation and development has not been    observed on plants of the new Barberry.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Barberry have been observed to    have excellent garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about −20° C. to about 40° C.-   Pathogen/pest tolerance: Plants of the new Barberry have been    observed to be tolerant to Powdery Mildew (Oidium sp.). Plants of    the new Barberry have not been shown to be tolerant to pests and    other pathogens common to Barberry plants.

1. A new and distinct Barberry plant named ‘Redtorch’ as illustrated anddescribed.